Paradise Lost
By
John Milton
Book VII

The Filial Power arrived, and sat him downWith his great Father; for he also wentInvisible, yet staid, (such privilegeHath Omnipresence) and the work ordained,Author and End of all things; and, from workNow resting, blessed and hallowed the seventh day,As resting on that day from all his work,But not in silence holy kept: the harpHad work and rested not; the solemn pipe,And dulcimer, all organs of sweet stop,All sounds on fret by string or golden wire,Tempered soft tunings, intermixed with voiceChoral or unison: of incense clouds,Fuming from golden censers, hid the mount.Creation and the six days acts they sung:Great are thy works, Jehovah! infiniteThy power! what thought can measure thee, or tongueRelate thee! Greater now in thy returnThan from the giant Angels: Thee that dayThy thunders magnified; but to createIs greater than created to destroy.Who can impair thee, Mighty King, or boundThy empire! Easily the proud attemptOf Spirits apostate, and their counsels vain,Thou hast repelled; while impiously they thoughtThee to diminish, and from thee withdrawThe number of thy worshippers. Who seeksTo lessen thee, against his purpose servesTo manifest the more thy might: his evilThou usest, and from thence createst more good.Witness this new-made world, another HeavenFrom Heaven-gate not far, founded in viewOn the clear hyaline, the glassy sea;

Of amplitude almost immense, with starsNumerous, and every star perhaps a worldOf destined habitation; but thou knowestTheir seasons: among these the seat of Men,Earth, with her nether ocean circumfused,Their pleasant dwelling-place. Thrice happy Men,And sons of Men, whom God hath thus advanced!Created in his image, there to dwellAnd worship him; and in reward to ruleOver his works, on earth, in sea, or air,And multiply a race of worshippersHoly and just: Thrice happy, if they knowTheir happiness, and persevere upright!So sung they, and the empyrean rungWith halleluiahs: Thus was sabbath kept.And thy request think now fulfilled, that askedHow first this world and face of things began,And what before thy memory was doneFrom the beginning; that posterity,Informed by thee, might know: If else thou seekestAught, not surpassing human measure, say.